Friday, 2:15-5:15

Metric, The Afghan Whigs, Dr. Dog, Tame Impala, Sharon Van Etten, Blind Pilot, Dry the River, and Zedd will be performing at Lollapalooza 2012 between 2:15 and 5:15 p.m. on Friday, August 3.

‏METRIC
‏The sound of Canadian indie rock vets Metric is an energetic mix of indie, new wave, electronica, and sounds that might even make you think of Sonic Youth. Synthetica, the band’s latest studio album, dropped in June of this year with vocalist/keyboardist Emily Haines stating that the new record is “about being able to identify the original in a long line of reproductions.” Undoubtedly, Metric is a gem in a sea of conformity. (Friday, 4-5, Bud Light Stage) –text: Anne Debreczenyi–photo: Norman Wong

‏THE AFGHAN WHIGS
‏As one of the most overlooked bands of the ‘90s, The Afghan Whigs are returning for some well-deserved recognition. While they haven’t collected quite as much dust as past legacy acts such as Devo and Big Audio Dynamite, their eerie yet soulful take on ‘90s alternative is a welcome addition to any Lolla lineup. Making Interpol-style dour indie rock before there was an Interpol, one listen to their 1993 classic Gentleman will leave you wondering what took them so long. (Friday, 4:15-5:15, Red Bull Soundstage) –text: Ryan Bray

‏DR. DOG
‏The loose and languid indie popsters of Dr. Dog have come a long way in the past 10 years. Their early records sound like they were crafted on a steady diet of bong hits and Pop-Tarts, but the Philadelphia band’s latest offering Be The Void reigns in some of the raggedness without compromising the band’s carefree, collaborative energy. The 6-piece’s sunbaked ‘60s and ‘70s indie pop sounds are a blissful fit for a lazy Friday afternoon. (Friday, 2:15-3:15, Red Bull Soundstage) –text: Ryan Bray

‏TAME IMPALA
‏Australian-born Tame Impala quickly reached acclaim with their first LP, InnerSpeaker, in 2010. The 3-piece melds heavy drum and bass lines, lo-fi guitar riffs and washed out vocals to create a hazy psychedelic rock sound. Tame Impala’s sound hearkens back to the golden era of ‘60s psychedelic rock, with all of the improvisational live jams to go with it. Their performance of “Lucidity” should encapsulate this experience well, especially when taken with a hit of acid. (Friday, 3:15-4:15, Sony Stage) –text: Kara Henderson

‏SHARON VAN ETTEN
‏Perched on the tailgate of her car, her voice hardly a whisper above the rush of traffic overhead, the video for “Save Yourself” is the perfect introduction to Sharon Van Etten’s soulful indie folk tunes chronicling an unstable period of her life on newest release Tramp. While the bright lights of Lollapalooza seem a little overzealous for such a laid-back performer, this soft-spoken girl and her guitar are capable of plenty of noise. (Friday, 3-4, PlayStation Stage) –text: Jyn Radakovits

‏BLIND PILOT
‏The name may sound treacherous, but Blind Pilot has found more tranquil ways to get its musical message out. The band hit the road in 2008, literally, by biking through an entire West Coast tour and traveling 1,300 miles hauling trailers packed with gear, upright bass included. The Portland sextet started in 2006 as a duo, with frontman Israel Nebeker and drummer Ryan Dobrowski making glorious, soaring indie folk-pop incorporating harmonium, vibraphone and trumpet all topped with a lush lyrical complexity. (Friday 3:30-4:15, Google Play Stage) –text: Beth Malloy

‏DRY THE RIVER
‏Made of musicians and life explorers, London’s Dry the River bring a unique punk perspective to folk. Their lyrics are smart in the vein of political messages, but this mobile band is also comfortable channeling more personal, emotional charges. LP Shallow Bed (2012) shows its gentle spots through introspection and airy vocals. Meanwhile, hot-blooded drums, dystopian imagination, smoky effects and poignant violin add undertones of volatility to a genre more often tip-toed through than rocked. (Friday, 3:20-4:00, BMI Stage) –text: Jessica Millman

‏ZEDD
‏Zedd possesses a mixing precision that begs your attention. In 2009, after winning accolades for his remixes and mash-ups, he established himself as a household name in the realms of electronic house. Large crowds began to congregate to his shows, where he proved that his swift rise behind the decks is no mistake. His tracks are incomparably composed and immediately grab the mind, making him an intimately memorable artist who refuses to go unnoticed. (Friday, 3:15-4:15, Perry’s) –text: Angie Martin

Blind Pilot

The energy of indie heroes Blind Pilot is a triangle current: its points connect mind, sound, and folk heart. And, on a more strenuous note, legs. The group’s 2008 bike tour took them, instruments strapped, down the West Coast from Washington to San Diego. This adventure, humble but exacting, is emblematic as it lays bare the personal creativity and laidback strumming/crooning combo of these marchers in a true musical grassroots movement. With a Lollapalooza performance under their belt, Blind Pilot is neither a stranger to Chicago nor to large-scale festivals. The 6-piece’s 3 Rounds and a Sound (2008) debut album soothes with its healthful, peppery acoustics, while its blends of pop and alternative are mastered by violin, dulcimer, and guitar. But their 2011 sophomore release We Are the Tide reveals even more personality with sharp, emotional writing and buoyant melodies further strengthening the charisma of this fun, down-to-earth band. (Appearing at the Park West on November 13) –text: Jessica Millman

Atmosphere, Blind Pilot, Chairlift, Gomez, Ida Maria, Joe Pug, Los Campesinos!, Robert Earl Keen

ATMOSPHERE
On a seemingly perpetual tour in support of last year’s When Life Gives You Lemons…, Minneapolis-based hip-hop veterans Atmosphere will bring the heartfelt beats and crossover rhymes that have made them one of the world’s most accomplished independent rap acts to the Lolla stage. Powered by the real-life lyricism of Slug and the soulful musical arrangements of Ant, Atmosphere still rocks some of the best live hip-hop this past decade has had to offer. (Saturday, 2:30-3:30, Chicago 2016 Stage) –text: Mike Scales–photo: Matt Blum

BLIND PILOT
There are few things more nerve-racking than the literal translation of this Portland duo. A blind pilot flying a plane? Terrifying. Blind Pilot the band? Quirky and engaging. The band’s balancing act between Americana folk music and pure West Coast pop is the stuff of regional expectations. Israel Nebeker and Ryan Dobrowski draw from a long history of Pacific Northwesterners who took the same decidedly lo-fi approach. But few do it as well. (Saturday, 4:15-5, BMI Stage) –text: Derek Wright

CHAIRLIFT
Retro-minded Brooklyn trio Chairlift borrows liberally from the sight, sound, and feel of ‘80s synth-pop, namely the likes of the Human League and The Chameleons. Since they were mere toddlers during the heyday of those British acts, however, Chairlift separates itself by transposing their sound with a uniquely New York computer-age backdrop. By no coincidence, Apple jumped on the band’s ultra-catchy single “Bruises” for a heavily rotated iPod commercial last year. (Saturday, 3:30-4:30, Citi Stage) –text: Andrew Clayman–photo: Bek Andersen

GOMEZ
Talented enough to switch lead singers in between songs, Gomez continues to offer up an ever-changing sound with unwavering quality. The Southport, U.K. band has a Southwestern feel to its melodies which are executed with completely natural beauty. Veterans of the summer festival scene, the rhythmic acoustic guitar and pounding bongos of their newest release, A New Tide, just might inspire you to barefoot-dance your ass off. (Saturday, 3:30-4:30, Vitaminwater Stage) –text: Diana Novak–photo: Marty Butler

IDA MARIA
Oh my god. Ida Maria’s hot Norwegian rockatude will make you want to rip off all your clothes as you wait for her words to kiss your writhing ears. But don’t worry, this chick (born Ida Maria Børli Sivertsen) prefers you in your birthday suit. At the tender age of 25, would you expect anything less from a dramatic punk/indie rock crooner with piercing baby blue eyes? I should hope not. (Saturday, 2:15-3, Citi Stage) –text: Alexis Nido-Russo

JOE PUG
Rising Chicago singer/songwriter Joe Pug is having a moment. This summer alone he’ll perform at both Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza, as well as several folks festivals and dates with Steve Earle and Susan Tedeschi. With only one EP under his belt (2008’s Nation of Heat), Pug has rode ubiquitous critical acclaim and endless comparisons to a young acoustic Bob Dylan to a remarkable ascendance into the public eye — and he’s just getting warmed up. (Saturday, 3-3:45, BMI Stage) –text: Tim Slowikowski

LOS CAMPESINOS!
Hailing from Cardiff, Wales, this jubilant septet creates music that is both adorable and danceable at the same time. This results from the congregation of spunky vocals, bass, guitar, keys, violin, melody horn and, of course, glockenspiel. They gained quite a buzz with their 2008 debut Hold On Now Youngster and, feeling this wasn’t enough, released We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed the same year. If you like fun, attend this set. (Saturday, 2:30-3:30, Budweiser Stage) –text: Anthony Spina–photo: Jon Bergman

ROBERT EARL KEEN
Robert Earl Keen befriended Lyle Lovett while a student at Texas A&M University and, disappointed in the college music scene, he set off to make it better. Keen wrote for a newspaper after college and in 1984 he released his debut No Kinda Dancer, and hasn’t stopped writing since. Twenty-five years and 15 country/folk albums later, Keen has established a nice little niche for himself based out of his ranch in Medina, Texas. (Saturday, 3:30-4:30, PlayStation Stage) –text: Jyn Radakovits